Page 17 of Beyond Montana's Sky
The old woman’s obvious emotion misted Edith’s vision. She didn’t quite know why Cai had stopped playing the piano but suspected he’d often played with his sister, and her death made the music too painful.
For Edith, during her mourning, the instrument had meant the opposite. In the painful time of Nathaniel’s illness and death, playing music comforted her, even though she avoided certain pieces, for they made her too sad.
The fact that she’d gotten Cai to play again touched something deep inside her. Knowing she’d helped him push through his pain left her body warm and humming and her heart full. She hoped, from now on, playing the piano might bring him comfort, too.
Edith let out a sigh, feeling a connection to the man—a special connection—yet one whose timing was all wrong.
CHAPTER FIVE
After they’d eaten the simple, but tasty meal, including the light-as-air biscuits, Edith found herself reluctant to leave. She glanced around the long dining room, the table big enough to feed an army—or an Anderson family plus one Cai Driscoll. This place possessed a hominess that she hadn’t experienced since she was a child and her parents were still alive.
Her immediate family had once resided in a small western cabin and later a big house, both filled with love and comforting food and music. Her mother’s family lived nearby, and she and Caleb had cousins to play with. Later Black Jack uprooted them, leaving behind family and friends.
As her father’s fortunes grew from his successful gambling and business ventures, the family continued to move—each home grander than the last. But they’d always had each other.
With his wife’s death, Black Jack lost his larger-than-life zest. He’d never been the same, and even became more distant with his family, plunging deeper into gambling and focusing on his business.
After her grandparents died, the only connection Edith had to her mother’s family was an occasional letter. Caleb invited the relatives to the wedding, but the distance was too far. Farmers couldn’t be away from their livestock for that many days.
After living with Aunt Agatha, Edith strove to forget her childhood memories. Remembering was too painful, and the difficulty of conforming to her aunt’s dictates and preparing for her debut in Boston’s society occupied her full attention.
Cai folded his flower-patterned napkin and set it next to his empty plate. “Let me show you the Anderson Village. It’s about a five-or-so minute walk that way.” He pointed.
I really should be going. But the words didn’t come out of Edith’s mouth. Instead, she nodded and walked to the serving window. Slightly stooping to see through the opening, she thankedMormor.
Cai retrieved their coats and her gloves, scarf, and reticule. Once they donned their outerwear, he guided her through the front of the house. Outside, he extended an elbow. “The top of the hill affords the best view.”
Curious, Edith slipped her hand around his arm and walked with him, holding up her skirts to keep clear of the dust. A stone path led around the hill. But he followed a dirt trail—just wide enough for them to walk abreast, up a gentle incline, thankfully not too difficult for Edith to manage in her tight corset.
They crested the hill and stopped. Below lay a European village, or what she imagined a European village would look like—quaint cottages along each side of a dirt road, the autumn remnants of gardens blooming in the front and back.
The close presence of the man beside her made her skin itch—in a good way—yet Edith felt surprisingly comfortable walking beside him.Perhaps this experience bodes well for my new life in Boston—how in my heart, and not just my mind, I’m ready for a second husband.
Not, of course, that she’d ever allow herself to fall so deeply in love again as she had with Nathaniel. Now, she knew better than to risk her heart.I couldn’t bear to lose another beloved husband.
No. Affection, shared values and interests, kindness, wealth, would suffice.
She waited for the feeling of satisfaction that should accompany that realization but found, somehow, the idea wasn’t as reassuring as it should be. Unsettled by the train of her thoughts, when Cai made some comment—Edith wasn’t even sure what—she practically snapped in response.
His chuckle caught her off guard. Any other man with an ounce of self-preservation would have taken notice and backed away, not acted amused. His response only wore away more of her normal equilibrium, and she inhaled as deeply as her corset would allow, as if clutching a pillar for support.
“Are you always this prickly?” he drawled.
“Prickly?” Edith suspected her tonesoundedprickly—sharp and thorny—intended to jab and keep a distance between them.
“As the prickly pear.” He flashed her a grin and pointed ahead and down toward a cactus with flat, paddle-shaped pads that looked like large leaves. A yellow flower perched on top. “Don’t worry. I know how to strip off the thorns and—” he lowered his voice “—get right down to the tender, juicy flesh underneath.”
The seductive power of his words and the current of attraction flowing between them threatened to pull her under. Edith could feel herself flailing, struggling to dig her feet into solid ground, lest she be swept away by the enticement of his very presence.
Cai winked and released her hand, striding over to the cactus and crouching.
Carefully, he pinched off the blossom, examined the bottom, and flicked a thorn away. Then he returned to her side and held out the flower, cupped in his palm. “Doesn’t quite go with what you’re wearing.” He used the bloom to gesture at the rose silk dress underneath her coat. “I suppose you’re more used to orchids or other hothouse flowers.”
In his eyes, a brief glimpse of vulnerability made Edith hold back thepricklycomment hovering on the tip of her tongue. She studied the flower, noting the sunny color and the delicacy of the petals. “I suppose I am. Or, at least I was in Boston.”Here, no one but my son brings me flowers.“Considering the source, this blossom is quite beautiful and unique.”
He made a little sound in his throat.
She looked up, expecting to see Cai’s customary bold expression. But instead, the tenderness in his gaze surprised her, loosening the rigid protections around her heart.Not since Nathaniel….
